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Author
Topic: Balance. (Read 3663 times)

Not doing too well on the mental stability aspect lately. I feel like i'm caught between a rock and a hard place (no joking). This new antidepressant has put me in the same fog as Atripla. Maybe more so. On the plus side I have been in far less pain then I can remember. I honestly don't know what to do. Pain relief at what price?

Mitch , Im so sorry you are having a rough go of it . I wish I had some med advice that could help , sounds like a complicated decision to make on whether the med side effect is worth less pain . My questions is the same as Mikes , are there other options or dosage adjustments you can try ?

I empathize with you on that "foggy" feeling from some antidepressants. What worked for me, was adding some Ritalin (methylphenidate) as it increases my alertness and acuity. I take a slow-release one in the morning, and have 10mgs I can use as necessary, for later in the day. It's made a world of difference for me.

I am taking Viibryd. I have taken several other antidepressants over the years for issues not related to depression. They all drove me nuts.

The dosage is supposed to be increased from 10mg to 20mg to the therapeutic dose of 40mg. I did 10mg for 3 weeks, then did 20mg for three weeks. It was too much. It was an odd request but with all of the other meds I am on and the thick fog I was going through I asked my psychiatrist to prescribe me the 10 mg dose and she thought it was unusual but a good idea in my case.

So, after another 2 weeks on the 10mg dose the fog has not improved. I also didn't see any difference with my headaches between the two doses (10 and 20mg). Both doses helped reduce the severity of pain by about 25%. (best results I ever had even though this was an unexpected pleasant side effect)

Maybe more time will help. I'm just not willing to give up yet and go back to more pain... for now.

Joe, thanks for that info. My psychiatrist suggested trying Ritalin while I was on Atripla to see if it would help. I didn't try it because I had decided around the same time to switch meds to Isentress/Truvada. Maybe it would be worth a try now. Just one more pill I guess.

Just frustrated about how to balance the pluses and minuses. Living in zombieville with less pain or being able to focus and suffer more pain. Not an easy decision.

Maybe I missed a thread but what is your pain from? Physical pain I assume...? PN?I've only ever been on zoloft, so please help me undestand why docs are prescribing Antidepressants for non-depressive issues?

Mitch can give you the specifics on why his doctor choose the particular drug he is on but I suffer from chronic pain and all of my pain management doctors have prescribed antidepressants along with the pain meds . Antidepressants can help in interrupting the signals nerves and other processes in the body send to the brain .

Cymbalta is now marketed more for pain, than depression. I rarely see a commercial for it, where they talk about depression; the ads are all about pain. My partner takes Amitriptyline for his migraines.

Maybe I missed a thread but what is your pain from? Physical pain I assume...? PN?

I've only ever been on zoloft, so please help me undestand why docs are prescribing Antidepressants for non-depressive issues?

Q#1. Chronic DAILY headaches (1/3 migraines) for 2 1/2 years with only 2 headache-free days.Q#2. My psychiatrist prescribed it for depression. The unexpected added benefit was some relief of pain for the first time ever.

I don't have the answer. It sounds like you are on the right track. Your docs have found something the headaches respond to. Now it just remains to balance that type of med with the rest.

One son had debilitating headaches in his teen years. His doc put him on Maxalt. The problem with that stuff was that he could only take it six times in a 30-day period. Wicked stuff.

One pill would stop the headache and keep him headache-free for a few days. Just about the time he could take another pill, he'd need it.

I had an episode in my early teens where I'd have daily headaches. I'd wake up and within fifteen minutes, I'd have a headache. By dinnertime, I'd be in so much pain, it was ridiculous. Turned out I needed glasses. I have terrible astigmatism.

A coworker developed headaches that wouldn't go away. It turned out her wisdom teeth were causing pressure on nerves. She had her wisdom teeth removed and her headaches stopped.

I don't have the answer. It sounds like you are on the right track. Your docs have found something the headaches respond to. Now it just remains to balance that type of med with the rest.

One son had debilitating headaches in his teen years. His doc put him on Maxalt. The problem with that stuff was that he could only take it six times in a 30-day period. Wicked stuff.

One pill would stop the headache and keep him headache-free for a few days. Just about the time he could take another pill, he'd need it.

I had an episode in my early teens where I'd have daily headaches. I'd wake up and within fifteen minutes, I'd have a headache. By dinnertime, I'd be in so much pain, it was ridiculous. Turned out I needed glasses. I have terrible astigmatism.

A coworker developed headaches that wouldn't go away. It turned out her wisdom teeth were causing pressure on nerves. She had her wisdom teeth removed and her headaches stopped.

All of this is likely absolutely no help to you. I'm just rambling.

Mitch, so sorry to hear about your current challenges. Wishing you the best. I know what it is like to have great physical pain.

Intaglio, I wrote on the boards here previously about my severe headaches starting in my teens. I was prescribed Darvon, a powerful painkiller that was eventually taken off the market. I have had periodic migraines with visual disruptions over the years but they have tapered off considerably as I have gotten older--strangely enough.

Jeff, I recently spoke to a friend regarding ongoing pain. An antidepressant was also thought to help shift brain signals and lessen the pain. I too was surprised when told about this but on reflection, it does seem to make sense. I understand that it has worked a bit for my friend.

« Last Edit: October 16, 2013, 11:35:59 AM by OneTampa »

Logged

"He is my oldest child. The shy and retiring one over there with the Haitian headdress serving pescaíto frito."

I was in pain and frustrated when my doctors first suggested antidepressants in conjunction with my other pain meds . It angered me to no end until the reasoning behind it was explained to me .

I'm careful to explain why adding an antidepressant is sometime beneficial when somebody comes to me asking about chronic pain treatment . There is no better way to get a pain sufferer riled up than by suggesting a psychiatric drug .

I take Trazodone and can tell the difference in my pain level if I miss a dose .

@ intaglio-Maxalt... didn't work. Glasses... not the problem. Wisdom teeth... pulled. Your concern and rambling... precious. @One Tampa- I wish you would sign off with your first name now and then so I could refer to you in a more personal way. My memory sucks. Thank you for your support. It means so much.

@Jeff- I think this thread is a learning experience for many and I appreciate hearing the nitty gritty real life details. I know all of this can be somewhat individual but hearing about meds from those who take them is often more important than hearing from those who prescribe them.